Key-valve pad for musical instruments



Dec. 3, 1929. w. H. GRANT 1,737,966

' KEY VALVE PAD FOR MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS Filed June 19, 1925 l/vvs/vrog: 72264 W. M- M Q Patented Dec. 3, 1929 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE WILLIAM H. GRANT, OF ELKHIORN, WISCONSIN, ASSIGNOR TO FRANK I-IOLTON & 00., 0F ELKHOBN, WISCONSIN, A CORPORATION OF WISCONSIN KEY-VALVE PAID FOR MUSICAL I1\TS"IR'IZTIMENTS Application filed June 19, 1925. Serial No. 38,156.

My invention relates to key plate valve pads, particularly adapted for use in musical instruments such as saxophones, clarinets, flutes and the like and has for one of its objects the provision of a simple and efiicient sealing means for key valves of musical wind instruments.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a valve key pad that is adapted to be employed in connection with a key valve of the usual construction.

Another object of my invention is the provision of a light and compact valve pad.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of resilient means for retaining a valve pad in a key plate.

A still further object of my invention is the provision of a valve pad that is adapted to be inserted in a key valve plate without requiring adjustment of any of the parts thereof. 7

Other objects of the invention will appear hereinafter, the novel features and combinations being set forth in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawings:

Fig. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a musical wind instrument equipped with a key pad embodying my invention;

Fig. 2 is a sectional view taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1 looking in the direction of the arrows and showing portions of the pad displaced to disclose underlying parts;

Fig. 3 is a sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows; and

Fig. 4 is a sectional view taken on the line 44 of Fig. 2 looking in the direction of the arrows.

Referring more particularly to the drawings, it will be seen that I have indicated a tubular portion 1 of a musical wind instrument having a key opening 2 at one side with a valve seat 3 at the outer side of the opening. This portion of a wind instrument may represent a saxophone, flute, clarinet or the like, and may be of any approved construction. 7

a thumb-piece 7 for operation by the person playing the instrument. A lever 8 is also fixed on the shaft 5 having a metal pad-cup 9 secured to its free end. A spring 10 may be connected between the bracket 4 and the r;

lever 8 and encircle the shaft 5 for normally holding the valve closed or in the position indicated in Fig. 1. It should be understood that these parts are shown in this particular relationship for illustrative purposes only and that my improved pad, hereinafter described, may be employed in connection with numerous other operating arrangements as well as with the specific construction shown.

My invention comprises a pad or sealing member 11, disposed Within the pad-cup 9. The key plate comprises a circular metal cup having an outwardly bulged back wall 12 and a circumferential flange 13 forming the periphery of the disk-shaped cup. In theillustration shown in the drawing, the flange 13 is bent inwardly towards the center of the cup to provide a re-ent-rant wall for the pad.

The pad 11 comprises a disk-shaped matrix 14 of suitable fiber such as felt substantially enclosed within a soft leather or kid covering 15. The covering 15 forms a smooth outer surface 16 which is sufliciently pliable to provide a substantially air tight closure on the valve seat 3. This covering; is folded backwardly over the edge of the matrix 14 and is disposed adjacent and glued to the inner side of the matrix 14 in the form of a hem 17 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4. The hem 17 may be stitched to the matrix 14, if desired, preferably at the center of the pad. Several stitches 18 may also be made at the center of the matrix 14 extending through the matrix and the cover 15 for securing the front portion of such covering in place. A single stitch will answer this purpose provided the two ends of the thread used are tied together on the inner side of the matrix as shown at 24 in Fig. 2.

A resilient wire spring 19 is shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4 positioned between the matrix 14 and the covering 15 therefor. This spring is confined by the hem 17 of the covering 15 with suflicient freedom of compression and all Til

expansion to act to hold the pad in the cup 9 as hereinafter explained.

As shown in Figs. 2, 3 and 4, the spring 19 is yielding and therefore when in the cup 9 it tends to expand and in so doing presses the covering 15 tightly against the inner wall of the disk-shaped cup 9. This pressure is sufliciently great to retain the pad 11 'by friction ina cup having a stra' t opening, but it is prefembleto employ -tare-entrant annular wall shown in Figs. 3 and 4 to co-act with the spring in retaining the 1nd in .place.

The end portions 20 and 21 of the spring 19 are bent away from the periphery of'the pad 11 and extend substantiallyparallel in a direction across the center of the pad. Each end portion is provided at its extremity with a hook 22 which is embedded in the felt matrix 14 as shown in Fig. 4, it being understood that the hook member 22 does not pass entirely through the matrixbut that it is anchored sufliciently deep to have a secure holding effect.

The wire 19 is also disposed at a point diametrically opposite from the end ortions 20 and 21,.in the formo f allshaped 00p 25, the closed portion of the loop'being directed towards the center of 'thematrix 14. Thus the spring 19 comprises two symmetrical .secvtlons, having two-of their adjacent ends integrally joined,an(ilthe other two adjacent ends being anchored in thematrix 14. The hooks 22, 22 on the end portions 20 and 21 aid the felt matrix 14 in retaining the pad in prpper shape.

hen the pad j11is inserted into the cup 9 the diameter of the springandpad may .be reduced by forcing the two symmetrical sections of the spring 19 slightly together so that the pad and its spring will pass through the constricted, portion, of the re-entrantopening. When the pild 11 has been inserted into the cap .9.to-such anextentthat the spring is no longer compressed by the constricted portion of the re-entrant opening, the pad will be expanded by such spring until its periphery conforms with the inner surface of the-flange 13. In this position, the s ring is adapted to force the edge portion 0 the pad securely against the inner poriphera'lwall of-the flange 13am! the pad held in .thecup 9 by the spring 19which isentrappedbetweenthe restricted portionof the opening 2 and the outwardly bulged wall 120f the cup.

The pad may be removed from the cup 9 by fforcingrthe edgeof-a' knifeor byinserting arfinger nail between the periphery ed the pad 11 and-tlhe inner surface of the-flange 13 'to force the two symmetrical sections of the spring 19 together. This action nsabove. described, reduces file diameter of "the pad 11, includingthesprin .19, to permit such pad to bereadiiyremom from the metal cup 12.

Wren the is compressed for the puring its ends secured .to said pad,

pose of inserting it into a valve key plate or for the purpose of removing it from such a plate, the fiber of the felt matrix 14 is restored to its normal condition by the expansion of the spring 19, the ends of which are anchored in the felt matrix.

Gbviously those skilled in the art may make various changes in the details and arrangement of arts without departing from the spirit an scope of the invention defined by the claims hereto appended, and it is therefore desired not to 'be restricted to the precise construction herein disclosed.

Having thus fully described and shown an embodiment of the invention, what is desired to be secured by Letters Patent of the United States is:

I claim:

1. A key valve pad for musical instruments comprising a key valve cup having a re-entrant opening, a covering for said valve pad, and an expansible member disposed within said pad beneath said covering for retaining said pad within said re-entrant opening.

2. A key valve pad for musical instruments comprising a key valve cup, a covering for said pad, and an expansible means disposed within said coveringfor pressing portions of the latter against the walls of said cup to re tain said pad in place.

3. A key valve pad for-musical instruments comprising a matrix, a cover for completely enclosing the edges and one.side of said matrix and having a hem on the other side secured thereto, and a spring member disposed between said hem and said matrix having its ends anchored in the latter.

4. In a valve for musical wind instruments, a pad carrier, a substantially circular spring positioned on the periphery of said pad and having its ends embedded therein, and a covering overlying the pad and the spring.

5. In avalve for musicalwind instruments, the combination with a key valve cup having a restricted opening, of a valve pad, and means for expanding said pad to retain the latter in said restricted opening.

6. In a valve for musical wind instruments, the combination with a key valve cup having a restricted opening of a pad, and an expansion spring secured to said pad at its end portions for resiliently expanding the pad to render it suificiently large after passing -.through the restricted portion of said opening to prevent separation of said pad from said oup.

7. In valve mechanism for musical wind instruments, the combinationwith a key valve cup, of a valve pad for said cup, and means forretainingsaidpad in said cup comprising a substantially circular spring member rhavsaid spring being disposed at a point opposite its ends in a ushapedloop solthat the portions of said spring intermediate the ends and the U- shaped loop may be moved together to reduce the diameter of said pad when pressure is applied thereto.

8. The combination with a key valve cup for musical wind instruments, of a pad for said cup, and means comprising a resilient ring member inclosed within said pad for expanding the latter to render a tight fitting engagement between said cup and said pad 9. The combination with a key valve cup for musical wind instruments, of a pad for said cup, and means comprising a resilient ring having two sections integrally connected at two adjacent ends, the other two adjacent ends being attached to said pad, said sections being movable in the direction of each other to reduce the diameter of said pad.

10. A valve for wind instruments comprising a pad, a pad carrier, a flexible pad cover secured to said ad, and a peripheral resilient means for detac iably fastening the peripheral portion of said pad in said pad carrier.

11. A key valve pad for musical wind instruments comprising a key valve cup, a covering for said pad, and means for detachably and resiliently holding said pad in said cup, said holding means comprising a spring member having two connected sections positioned to enlarge the diameter of said pad when the latter is disposed in said cup.

12. In a valve for musical wind instruments, the combination with a key valve cup having a restricted opening, of a compressible pad, and a resilient means comprising a spring having its ends embedded in said pad, said spring being adapted to restore tne material of said pad to its normal condition after the latter has been compressed in passing through said restricted opening.

13. In a valve for musical wind instruments, the combination with a key valve cup having a restricted opening, of a pad, and an expansible member secured to said pad comprising a spring having joined sections, the opposite ends of said sections being adapted to move relative to each other for expanding said pad after its passage through said restricted opening.

14. A detachable pad for valves of wind instruments, comprising a filler, a flexible covering therefor, and resilient means at the periphery of the pad for holding the same detachably in place.

15. A detachable pad for musical wind instruments, comprising a disk of felt, a kid leather covering therefor, and a retaining metal spring within said covering at the peripheral portion of said felt disk to adapt the pad to detachably fit into a valve cup of a wind instrument.

16. A key valve pad adapted to fit into the key valve cup of a musical wind instrument, and comprising means concealed within the pad for detachably holding the pad in said cup.

17. A key valve pad adapted to fit into the key valve cup of a musical wind instrument, and comprising a spring compressible diametrically when the pad is inserted into the said cup and eXpansible against the inner annular wall of the cup to detachably retain the pad in said cup.

18. A pad for key valves of musical wind instruments, comprising a peripheral spring concealed within the pad for detachably holding the pad in a valve cup.

19. In key valves for musical wind instruments, the combination with a pad, of a spring almost completely encircling the peripheral portion of the pad, and projections extending inwardly from the ends of said spring toward the central portion of the pad.

20. In key valves for musical wind instruments, the combination with a pad, of a spring encircling the peripheral portion of the pad, and projections at the ends of said spring extencing inwardly.

21. In key valves for musical wind instruments, the combination of a pad, and a spring encircling the peripheral portion of the pad and comprising a U-shaped loop intermediate its ends and inward projections at such ends.

22. In key valves for musical wind instruments, the combination with a disk-shaped pad comprising a felt disk and a kid leather covering secured thereto, and a spring encircling the bottom peripheral edge of said disk inside of said covering and comprising a U-shaped loop intermediate the ends of said spring and inwardly projecting, inward projections at the ends of said spring, and auxiliary extensions at the ends of said projections embedded into the bottom surface of said felt disk.

23. In key valves for musical wind instruments, the combination with a felt disk, of a kid leather covering stitched to said felt disk at its center and having its rear hem glued to the back of said felt disk, and resilient means at the peripheral portion of said felt disk within said covering for detachably holding the pad in the cup of a key valve.

In testimony whereof I have signed my name to this specification on this 16th day of June, A. D. 1925.

WILLIAM H. GRANT.

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